


Reunion

by Winxhelina



Series: The complicated, difficult and occasionally very romantic relationship between Dr. Stephen Strange and Dr. Christine Palmer [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22605112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winxhelina/pseuds/Winxhelina
Summary: There were all these possibilities and outcomes that Stephen saw. And different things must have happened to Dr. Palmer in each of these realities too. But how would their reunion go once the world is saved and all is... well...?Years have passed since Christine last saw Stephen. Perhaps she has moved on?Written as a sequel to previous stories in the series, but reads fine on its own. Sort of.
Relationships: Christine Palmer & Original Male Character, Christine Palmer & Stephen Strange, Christine Palmer/Stephen Strange
Series: The complicated, difficult and occasionally very romantic relationship between Dr. Stephen Strange and Dr. Christine Palmer [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1036082
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> I had about 100 different reunions in mind for them. Figured I'll at least write down one.

Martin's voice echoed in Christine's head. She could only catch fragments of what he was saying. She was too tired to concentrate on anything more than a few words at a time. She had just had the worst 18-hour shift of her life and this bastard had decided now would be a good idea to break up with her. Or something. Christine wasn't sure exactly. She was watching the patterns of the wood on the balcony floor melt into each other and form new interesting patterns. The flooring seemed to move under her gaze. Even if it clearly didn't. 

"You understand of course..." Martin was saying:"I mean neither of us really loves each other. Really. I mean really. We were just passing time until we got the people we love back..." he says. As if he's always believed that everyone were going to return the same way they disappeared. As if he hadn't grieved and despaired after his wife and daughter. As if the last few years hadn't been hell. Everyone trying desperately to find positives in a universal tragedy much too great for anyone to even fully comprehend. 

But Christine isn't sure if this isn't just as bad. Up until today the worst shift of Christine's life had been the one where everyone had simply turned to dust. Now it was the one where they all returned. The chaos was unimaginable and impossible to describe. People simply appearing out of thin air. Some of them dying the next moment because of the unfortunate placement of their re-appearance. Some killing others in progress. Christine wasn't sure which of the two days had more casualties, but they were both horrific. And here was Martin going on and on about his stupid wife. Christine wondered how she had ever been able to stand him let alone live with him for nearly two years.

"Can't this wait?" she asked, feeling her words slur together. She wanted to sleep. To pass out and fall into darkness and not think of the horrors she had witnessed herself or heard others describe. Just to forget. 

"I've waited for years, I can't wait another minute. I was lucky enough to get them back. I can't waste more time," Christine smirked bitterly. A waste of time. That was what she was. And to think she had thought that Martin had been so sweet and kind and affectionate in comparison to Stephen. Always talking to her in that affectionate warm tone. It was still there, but it wasn't directed towards her anymore. 

"Yours will come back too, of course. I'm sure."

"I'm not so sure. Stephen isn't like that," Christine said, but she wasn't sure she remembered what Stephen was really like. It had been long enough that all of her memories of him had gone through some kind of tinted filter. People thought differently of those who were gone. They lost some of their complexity. They often either became idolised creatures who were always kind and had no fault or people so truly awful they had no redeeming qualities at all. She had of course tried to remember Stephen as he had been, but she didn't think she quite managed. Sometimes it felt like he hadn't even been real. Not with the things Christine had seen him do. 

She was no longer looking at Martin, she was looking outside, to the man wearing a very distinctive red Cloak and who was doing rather a poor job of hiding behind a tree. Ah. Perhaps she'd been wrong then. Apparently he would be back the first chance he got. How long had he stood there now?

Martin picked up his suitcase and told Christine he would be back for the rest of his stuff. She was sure he hadn't noticed Stephen or he would have pointed it out by making some unwanted comment on how they both had their loves back and life was just peachy again. As if life was that simple. Christine looked after Martin as he walked away. Not because she would miss him or mourn after him. but because she was too tired to move. Not even a kiss. No. Martin would probably consider that being unfaithful now. 

The man behind the tree with the red Cloak still stood there. Christine motioned her head for him to come forward. Not the reunion either of them had imagined she was sure. No running into each other's arms kind of nonsense. Instead Stephen came timidly towards the pink suburban house she now lived in. Cloak seemed to want the emotional and romantic reunion, because it wrapped itself around Christine and ushered her forwards towards Stephen. But really, all that being wrapped in a red soft blanket did, was make Christine feel sleepier. 

"You look like crap and I'm the one who just fought a purple mad mass-murderer of a titan."

Christine actually smirked:"Well, I'm the one who dealt with the results in an 18-hours shift," Cloak had let go of her, realizing it wasn't getting its way and now Christine was making her way inside the house. 

"Ah," was all Stephen said and followed Christine inside:"Who was the fellow there?"

"Dr. Martin Marmiton," she knew Stephen must have noticed the photos of the two of them they had _everywhere._ Martin had insisted on making new memories, surrounding themselves with them. Christine had loathed it, but hadn't had the will or the energy to fight back. She had just fallen into this relationship and hadn't bothered to get out. Some days it had felt really unfair towards Martin, but now, as she watched him walk away with not an ounce of regret for leaving her, she no longer felt bad. 

"And he's your...?" 

"Fiancee," Christine blurted out bluntly. She was pretty sure she saw Stephen wince from the corner of her eye as she reached the bedroom and toed off her shoes.

"Oh. Well, then I suppose I should..." 

"You did just saw him walk out on me." Christine pointed out:"He had a wife and a daughter. Got them back. No need for me."

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter." Christine said. She had thrown herself on the bed with all her clothes, too tired to bother taking them off. 

Stephen raised an eyebrow:"You have a rather nonchalant attitude towards someone you were about to marry."

"I didn't particularly want to marry him, but I had no good reason to say no. He was nice and caring and understanding... helped me through some rough times I suppose. I just went along with things. I didn't care either way. I was waiting to see if you would return. Everything else kind of... happened along the way."

Stephen had sat next to her on the bed:"You shouldn't be anyone's second choice. You've always been my first."

Christine snorted:"Don't come sugar-talking. It was always your work."

Stephen was about to say something, but Christine cut him off:"I want to sleep," she said and turned the lights off. 

"Should I leave?" a soft voice asked in the darkness. 

Christine smiled:"No. Whatever you'd like." Somehow it was easier to talk in the dark. 

"Should I join you?" he was teasing her. 

Christine decided to sit up and remove the rest of her clothes after all, just leaving her underwear:"If you'd like." 

"Is this you just going along with things again?"

"No. This is me being exhausted. Mostly. Nothing's gonna happen if you get in here."

"I didn't expect things to _happen._ Not right away anyway," Stephen sounded offended. 

Christine lay back down and felt Stephen wrap his arm around her waist:"Okay?"

"Yes. I'm sure I'll be much more emotional tomorrow." 

"Yeah. Regarding Martin too?"

Christine smirked:"Jealous?"

"That you went and got engaged with another guy? Yeah. A bit."

Christine sighed:"You were dead. And you weren't sure if you were going to come back either. No one thought any of you might. Not really seriously after a while anyway. Well, I guess that's a lie, but my point remains..."

"You didn't really answer my question."

"Jesus, aren't there more important topics than this right now? And no. Not about him."

"I just - I always thought you'd wait..." Stephen sounded hurt in a way Christine thought he had no business being. She felt very much like kicking him out of her bed. 

"I did wait for you," she hissed, taking his arm and removing it from her person.

"With another guy in your bed."

"What was I supposed to do?! Sit around twiddling my thumbs for _years_!? We weren't even dating when you disappeared. It was still in that really weird spot between friendship and getting back together," she pointed out.

"You know I had feelings for you! You must have!"

"Yes, well... what was I supposed to do!? Sit around waiting just in case you came back and possibly wanted to start something?!" she was far from sleepy then and had definitely gotten angry instead. She was climbing out of her bed, turning on the lights, marching across the little hateful suburban home that Martin had insisted they buy, because deep down he wished Christine were more like his housewife of a wife, who had passed and he had probably thought that if he put Christine in a similar setting his wife had been in, she would slowly turn to baking apple pies and Sunday roasts. Needless to say she never did. She marched through the front door. Stephen was right behind her, shouting:"Where are you going?!"

"Oh, I'm going for a walk for a _few years._ I might come back. I might not. Wait for me. You'll find out eventually!" she snapped and slammed the door shut in front of Stephen's face with great satisfaction. 

"You're half naked!" Stephen protested through the door. 

"I'm sure people have seen more shocking sights today," Christine replied from the other side:"Honestly, Stephen, there's so much going on and you want to come here and be petty and jealous...?" she added more seriously. Sometimes she wondered if he had no perspective on things at all. 

"I'm not being petty, I really thought... after everything was over... we could... try things..."

Christine sighed and opened the door:"We can try things. Martin walked out on me. There's nothing stopping us from trying things," she said seriously.

"And if he hadn't?"

"He has," Christine repeated, irritated:"But if he hadn't things would be complex. I don't have deep feelings for him. We got engaged, but neither of us ever really told the other we loved each other. We said things like. "I'm glad I met you" and "I'm glad you're here" and "You saved me" and he said things like "It's been so long. We have to move on, soldier on, build ourselves a new life in these ruins... I would like to do that with you. I think it's time. Don't you?" and "Let's buy this house in this beautiful scenery, where we can try and forget. Put the shadows of the past behind us."But we never said "I love you". "

Stephen rolled his eyes:"He sounds awful. Dreadfully poetic."

"He was nice. Kind," Christine argued quietly.

"Very kind indeed. Walked out on you the first chance he got."

"Yes," Christine agreed:"I don't think I could have been quite that cold to him," she admitted. She had taken a step inside now and looked at Stephen, who looked like he was about to say something very meaningful and romantic and profound, but then blurted:"But you had sex, right?"

Christine rolled her eyes:"Stephen! Seriously?!"

He smiled a very sad smile then:"Sorry. It's been... extremely shit. You wouldn't believe how bad it's been. We lost some people and I knew right from the start we had to loose them. I knew that was the only way... we saved everyone and - but not really - I did what I could to make sure things work out, but I knew even the best case scenario wouldn't be a happy ending..."

Christine shuddered:"I thought the day when everyone disappeared would be the worst chaos ever, but today... today was just as bad... if not worse."

It didn't look to be the sort of comforting words Stephen had hoped for:"Really? That bad?"

"I saw some pretty bad deaths too. Everyone coming back exactly to where they disappeared... well, some horrid accidents are scripted into that... Maybe we both saw things so awful the other can't imagine them. Entirely different, but dreadful in their own ways. Because I do think that no one who wasn't in that shift could ever imagine the chaos..."

Stephen shuddered too and remained quiet. They had both seemingly decided to take a short walk to Christine's bedroom:"Do you think we shouldn't have done it?" Stephen asked after a bit of silence.

"You're back here, so I can't say that. I am glad you're back."

"But otherwise?"

"It rips a lot of people open again, causes a lot of chaos, but I don't know how many people fully healed anyways. I didn't. Maybe now they have a chance to heal better."

 _This_ seemed like the sort of positive way of thinking Stephen had hoped for and Christine was glad she had come up with it. She got back to her bed, but Stephen didn't seem all that sure if he was welcome, so Christine patted the spot next to her.

"You know, I've never told you that I love you either," he said, still standing there.

"I know," Christine said, sounding nonchalant, but really feeling like Stephen had just casually stabbed him for no good reason. Maybe he was still being petty and jealous. 

"I do. I love you," Stephen said and that was very disarming, Christine just sat their quietly looking at the pattern on her blanket as Stephen got next to her on the other side of the bed. Then she killed the lights again, wrapped her arms around Stephen and deciding that she had let him suffer long enough whispered:"I love you too." She could feel the tension leaving his body and he smiled. She could feel it against her wet cheek. When had she started crying? 

"Good... Umm... so... was he better than me in bed? Martin? He wasn't, right?"

Christine burst out laughing, grateful for the lighthearted joke:"I don't know. It's been ages with you and I. You'll just have to remind me how good you were exactly."

**Author's Note:**

> If you find any mistakes I made while editing, feel free to let me know. All other comments are welcome too.


End file.
